Marion's Miscellaneous Musings

And How Was Your Day?

My French exchange student never fails to ask me "Did you pass a good day?"  (I like the wording so much that I haven't told him that this is not standard English.) (But it ought to be.)

Well, today I have a longer answer than "fine" or "crappy."

First, you have to know that I am having my kitchen counters replaced and the sink changed. Yesterday they took the old counters out, leaving me with no sink, no dishwasher, no way to clean the stove, and a clear view of the contents of the top drawers.  I was able to choose a bottle opener without searching through the back of the silverware drawer, and I opened the phone book to look up a number, again without opening the drawer.  Twice.  Convenient, no?

Today actually started yesterday at 3 or so, when the contractor called.  He said that the counter people and the plumber would be at my house shortly before 3 (just when I am picking up the French exchange student from school), and have I bought a replacement faucet yet?  This is something that I don't think we discussed explicitly, because it is only 18 months old, and I would have no reason to purchase another.  I verified it was not left at the house.  The contractor found it in a dumpster underneath some siding, and concluded I really did not want it back in the sink, and offered to compensate me for a new faucet.  Which I now had to go and buy.  Well, I was about to retrieve the other exchange student, gather decorations for my potluck dinner, and take both exchange students to their potluck, go to mine, and return home about 9:00 without stopping at Home Depot, so I planned to buy it today.

Now on to today.

Today's list included teaching an 11 year old how to finish the binding on her first quilt (which has a Christmas deadline), from 10:00 to until we finished about lunchtime, then buying the faucet, and stopping at place to pick up lunch that was not a hamburger joint.  Something classy, like a sandwich shop, or possibly the Safeway deli, and being home in plenty of time for everyone to arrive at 3.  I could not buy the faucet before 10, because it it laundry day, and the first load, which finished at 10, is officially titled "the load that will wrinkle if you do not pay attention to it right away, and then I have to iron everything, and I hate ironing."

My daughter called at about 9:30.  She has a doctor appointment for the youngest, who has had a cough for two weeks, and it is getting worse this week.  It is at 1:00.  Can I take him, or does she need to take time off work?  Yes, I can take him.

I called my husband, who is at a slow time at work, to see if he can get a faucet.  Maybe.  I need to check back on when the quilting sessions ends.  deep breath.  OK.

My little quilter shows up at 10:15, and everything is going just great until the countertop guys show up at 10:30.  We do a little talking, they make a phone call, confirm that the contractor was mis-informed, I give my little quilter (and her grandmother) directions and head off to Home Depot to buy a faucet.

The trip was without incident.  I made all the stoplights both ways, even the one I always stop at (well, except for 1, but really!).  There is one section of freeway which is officially 70 mph, everyone goes 50 because in only 1 mile there is an exit that most of them want to take, so why speed up to the flow of traffic?  I was able to get up to 80 on the section!  (You didn't see me, and I'll deny everything.)

Then I remember the phone book I left open in the drawer...it now covers two drawers.  I envision cutting it apart (it is in a 1 inch plastic 3 ring binder) in order to remove it from the drawer, and I hope I get home before they get to that section of counter.

I get home without getting a ticket, deliver the faucet, discover the counter has actually been installed over the phone book, successfully remove it without destroying it or anything else, and tell my little quilter what to do next,  Then my daughter calls.  She is on the bus to work, but forgot her ibuprofen. Can I deliver some?  She doesn't need it until 2 or 3.  I promise to try, and think to myself, I am going to forget.

I call my husband to say he is off alert for the faucet.

I go back and forth between the countertop guys and my quilter, successfully multitasking.  My quilter leaves at 12:30.  The countertop guys leave at 12:40.  I leave at 12:41 to pick up the grandson, get some information on his cough, install his car seat, get a permission slip from his dad, and make it to the doctor with 2 minutes to spare.

During the visit, the baby throws up all over himself and my sleeve.  I assure the doctor this is nothing, his mother threw up in my mouth once.  (Only once.)  We leave the office at 1:30, a half hour earlier than I had thought.  I am thrilled.  I deliver the baby to his dad, with instructions.  Then I go home and change my shirt, and plan to get lunch and deliver ibuprofen.

I discover that the plumbers have been there, almost 2 hours ahead of schedule.  I call them.  They have nothing else to do, so they come back and install the faucet and reconnect the dishwasher.  I get a text from the exchange student...can I come?  The library is closing.  The plumbers are almost done, he said to call when I get there.  The plumbers leave, I leave.

At school, there is no response to my calls or texts.  I finally enter the school, find the kid.  Then Laurie asks for the ibuprofen again.  I go home, get the drugs, go to Wendys for lunch, and eat lunch while waiting for Laurie to come to the parking lot to get her drugs.  It is 4:00.  Time for coffee.

And that was how I passed my day.

And I finished all the laundry.

posted by Marion @ 8:19 PM